AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteer Assists Aspire
From Jeanne Hearn, Aspire:
Please join the Keene State College TRiO Programs, Aspire and Upward Bound, in welcoming Katelyn (Katie) Joyce to her new role as an AmeriCorps VISTA Member and Aspire Tutor Program Assistant.
Katie is a familiar face on the KSC campus, and comes to this position with a wealth of accomplishments and experiences as an undergraduate student. A May 2013 Magna Cum Laude Psychology degree recipient, Katie served as President for Psi Chi and Vice President of Active Minds, presented for KSC’s Academic Excellence Conferences, received the 2013 Homer Stavely Excellence in Psychology award and worked for Aspire as a Tutor and Head Tutor. Last spring, she co-facilitated a workshop with Jeanne Hearn, Aspire Assistant Director/Tutor Coordinator, for the Campus Compact of New Hampshire College Access and Student Success Showcase entitled, “If You Build It, They Will Come: Creating and Effective Tutor Program to Meet Student Demand and Program Needs.”
Katie will be continuing her work with the tutor program by developing a Mentoring Program for Aspire Tutors to enhance their learning experience and capacity to assist their peers in all areas essential for student success. She will be involved in the development and assessment of this new model for Aspire’s highly utilized peer tutoring program with a specific focus on low-income and first-generation students.
When asked about her experience, Katie said “I am excited to be continuing my work with the Tutor Program. We are three weeks into the fall semester and we already have 300 requests, a new record! Aspire opened doors for me as a student and now with VISTA, I am supporting students to utilize Aspire. This is an amazing opportunity for me to get on-the-job training. After my year of service, I plan to pursue graduate studies and seek a career in academic support in higher education.”
VISTA was founded as Volunteers in Service to America in 1965 as a national service program designed specifically to fight poverty in America. AmeriCorps VISTA members are passionate and committed to their mission. Members make a year-long, full-time commitment to serve on a specific project at a nonprofit organization or public agency. They focus their efforts to build the organizational, administrative, and financial capacity of organizations that fight illiteracy, improve health services, foster economic development, promote education and otherwise assist low-income communities. Keene State College is a VISTA Host Site through New Hampshire Catholic Charities.
More information about the AmeriCorps Vista Program can be found at www.nationalservice.gov/programs/americorps/americorps-vista.
More information on Aspire and the Tutoring Program can be found at www.keene.edu/aspire/.
